


another great year at camp lakefire

by charjace



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Good Parent Maggie Tozier, Homophobic Language, M/M, Maggie Tozier IS A GOOD PARENT GOD DAMMIT, Pinning Little Shits, Sonia Kaspbrak's A+ Parenting, Summer Camp, original characters are mentioned just to fill in gaps!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2021-01-30 15:08:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21430225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charjace/pseuds/charjace
Summary: it's their last year at summer camp, and after this, everyone was separating away from maine. this is how they spend it
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	another great year at camp lakefire

The sun was beaming brightly as he drove his way towards Camp  Lakefire , soft music playing on the radio and he couldn’t help but smile. It was going to be his last year doing this, along with most of his friends. They had all started coming to this camp when they were kids, enjoying it and all of them jumped at the chance to be counselors when they were offered it when they were sixteen. Now, they’re all twenty-three and their jobs and lives were driving them away from being able to visit the camp every summer now. This was going to be a fun summer, and he couldn’t wait for it, after he was moving out of Maine – away from his mother despite all of her protest. But he had a job lined up for after the summer.

As a leader, he was heading in a week earlier then the children. This was the start of his freedom, his true freedom. He no longer was living with his mother as of the moment he left the driveaway that morning. All his things were heading to his new place in California. There was an offer in New York,  but California was further away – the furthest from his mother and that is what he needed. He was getting away from all her  _ stupid _ ideals, and her toxic way of controlling him. It was extremely freeing, and he loved this feeling.

Parking his car behind the Main House, he noticed a few familiar cars and smiled to himself again as he got out of his car. He walks around to the front of the Main House and walks in. Beverly was the first one to spot him, and give him a hug and he returned it.

“One more Loser, then the whole gang is here,” Ben spoke up as Beverly pulled away from him, before turning to Ben, giving him a peck on the check as she sat down next to him. Eddie’s eyes look around at everyone, a few new and old  counselors . Bill, Mike and Stan were sitting around a table together with Ben and Beverly, “Richie’s running a little late. Come on,  Mrs Marshall will be here in an hour to give us all the talk and our cabins.”

Eddie gave a small nod of his head, and joins them at the table. Not even half an hour goes by before Richie rolls up into the Main House, taking a seat in between Stanley and Eddie. It was great, the gang was all back together, and now they’ll have to make plans outside of camp to do this more often. They were drifting apart as much as they hated it, they were because their lives were taking them in all different directions. Richie cracks a few jokes, and everyone laughs. 

Mrs Marshall, a woman who appeared to be in her late forties, with slowly greying hair entered with a box filled with clipboards in her arms. She set the box on a table that wasn’t occupied by one of the teens or young adults. “Afternoon everyone, I hope you enjoyed your ride up here. I’m the Director of this camp, as you all know. All new  counselors , I will ask you to stay behind after I dismiss everyone if you have any questions and I'll go over a few more things. The kids will be coming next week, by then we should have everything ready and I expect everyone to help out. Tomorrow is activity day for you guys, wear  appropriate clothing for being active.

“Now, I’ll be giving out your cabins. Come up and get them your name is called, and if you’re new – stay here, if you’re not you may head straight for your cabin and get yourself settled in. Right, Annabeth, cabin six. Lou, Cabin twenty, Bill, Cabin one...”

Eddie had watched as everyone went up and got their assigned cabins, leaving or taking a seat back down, “...Eddie, cabin five, Stan, cabin three, Bev, cabin two...” He stood up and collected his clipboard that had a list of the names of his kids that he would be the man leader of for the summer. He leaves the Main House, he scans his list of six kids, some new and some old names. He’s got a group of  twelve-year old's this year.

It didn’t take him long before he had brought all his things into the cabin, settling himself within the cabin. When he was finished, he walked out of the cabin to see a game of backyard cricket being played, and the others how were finishing up joining in on the game and he did too. Soon enough, it was time for dinner and talks about what they expect for the rest of the summer.

The night before the campers arrive, and the  counselors are all seated around a campfire near the lake – there were some  _ drinks _ that shouldn’t be there, but  Mrs Marshall wasn’t there to police them and she trusted them anyway. None of them ever got overall too drunk and they never let the underage leaders drink. He was sitting next to Bill, picking a bit at the bottle’s label. They were talking about what they were going to do after camp. Bill was moving out of Maine too, he’s found a place where he thinks it’ll better his writing, that the change of scenery might help him.

“That’s awesome Bill, I’m moving too,” Eddie says as he brings his drink to his lips, taking a sip and smiling. “I got a job offer to work in a shop in California. The owner is really nice, and it’s getting me away from my mother.”

“ Oh I bet she is hating that,” Bill replies, the way he speaks is slower then how he use to speak when he was a kid. It’s slower as he processes the words before he speaks, he  use to stutter and Eddie is proud of how far his best friend has come to work through it. “No more  _ Eddie-Bear _ to take care of.”

A smile graces Eddie’s lips at the light teasing from Bill, but he knows Bill means well as the guy puts an arm around him, giving him a squeeze. A flash went off, and Stan was standing in front of them with a camera in his hands. Stan takes a seat next to Bill, handing the camera off to Mike who wanted it. Richie joins the group by laying himself at their feet, smiling up at them with that big old smile of his.

“What are you guys talking about?” He muses, lifting himself up enough to take a big gulp of his drink before lowering himself again, but still looking at them.

“Eddie’s moving out to Cali,” Bill says, as he leans his head onto Stan’s shoulder. 

“Yeah? That’s good because men ad your mum  were getting tired of  sn -,” Richie jokes, only stopping when  Eddie’s foot connected with his shoulder. “Hey, does that also mean  sh -”

“No! God, she’d fucking kill me. I know she would, no. I’m keeping that from her until she dies,” Eddie says, not letting Richie finish the sentence. Oh god, the idea of even telling his mother  _ that _ , scared the shit out of him. He knew how she felt about it so for years he’s kept his mouth shut and his feelings to himself. “No. I can’t tell her, you know her. It’s a ‘sickness’”

He can see his friends look at him with a sadden empathy in their eyes, he stands up, giving a small smile to his friends. His mind right now, it was on a  one way path down to down in the dumps city and he didn’t want to bother his friends, or make them feel like it was their fault because it wasn’t. His mind just was taking him to the other week when his mother ranted to him about how this couple had the  _ audacity _ to flaunt their stuff in front of everyone. He had asked her, what they did – they had just  _ held hands _ .

Shit, he thinks as he starts to walk to his cabin – tears prickling his eyes and he downs the rest of the bottle before binning it in the rubbish bin before he walks into his cabin. He rubs at his eyes, he shouldn’t be crying, this was  _ summer _ and he just wanted to have fun.

It was quiet for a few minutes; he had stripped himself of his clothes leaving him in just his underwear when there was a knock on the door. Sighing, he walks over and opens the door, seeing Richie standing there.

“I’m sorry Eds, I didn’t mean to make you upset,” Richie says, not waiting for Eddie to invite him into the cabin, easily taking a seat on one of the bunks in the room.

“Name isn’t Eds,” He says, taking a seat on his own bed, “And you didn’t, just over thinking is all Rich. No need to worry about it.”

“ _ Eddie _ , we will always worry. We’re the Loser’s, remember. We care for each other,” Richie was serious as he spoke. Richie knew exactly how Eddie’s mother could be on the subject, he had been the subject of one of Sonia’s rants to Eddie; while Richie was standing right there, speaking as if Richie wasn’t. It had hurt a lot, not that Richie would let it show.

Richie’s own parents, they were okay with it – they accepted Richie for who he was and his home was a safe place for Eddie. Maggie Tozier had made sure that Eddie knew that when he told her, and told her why he can’t tell his own mother. 

Moving to sit next to Eddie, Richie wraps an arm around him, holding him in a side hug. “You know you good  ol ’ mate Rich is a few cabins down if you want to talk more.” The words coming out in one of Richie’s ‘voices’ one Eddie can’t place, maybe it’s a new one he’s trying out. Richie places a quick kiss to Eddie’s cheek before he stands up, “Nighty  Nighty , I’ll see you in the morning.”

Eddie gives a small nod of his head, watching as Richie left the cabin, closing the door behind him and Eddie feel asleep.

Two weeks into camp now, the kids were enjoying themselves. Running around and playing games, and doing the activities that the camp has to offer. Today was his and Beverly’s cabin’s turn for the obstacle course. Eddie and Bev, having a board to determine which cabin was better at the obstacle course. With Beverly and Eddie being the last ones to complete it. It was nice, because being here at this camp - it made him feel like a kid again. The  _ good _ parts of being a kid. Not those  _ horrible _ parts that tried to take up most of his childhood.

_ “What’s a sissy boy like you doing here?” Henry, local school bully taunted as Eddie walked up to the  _ _ rock-climbing _ _ wall.  _

_ Eddie tries to ignore the calls of Henry as he goes to attach himself to the equipment, his friends were coming, he tells himself this as he feels a hand on his shoulder, yanking him backwards. Where was the instructor? Wasn’t it bad enough he got this at school, that he now has to deal with it  _ _ here? _

_ “When someone is talking to you faggot, you reply,” Victor, one of Henry’s goons says, pushing him towards Henry. _

_ He had lost his footing, falling to the ground at Henry’s feet – the last place he wanted to be but it seemed to be exactly where Henry had wanted him. The man in question, bending down to look Eddie in the eyes, those eyes giving Eddie a  _ chill _ down his spine.  _ _ Oh, _ _ how he wanted away from this all right now. _

_ “What makes you think you could  _ ever _ climb something like this? You’re fucking stupid, but hey -” Henry says as he stands himself up, before connecting his foot with Eddie’s nose. “I always knew the queers were stupid.” _

_ Eddie knew it was stupid to stand up, but he couldn’t stand just staying down on the ground. His eyes search franticly for an adult, for an instructor or someone else in this place. But it seemed that everyone was just ignoring everything that was going on. Standing up to his full height, blood running down his face. There was a punch to his stomach, and he felt the air get knocked out of him. He wishes he had his inhaler now, ‘it’s a placebo Eddie, it’s not  _ real’,  _ but he didn’t care if it was or not, he needed it. He needed to breathe  _ _ again; _ _ it was getting hard to do it. _

_ “Just another stupid sissy fag, am I right?” Henry questions, and Eddie can hear his goons agree with him. Eddie was so use to the name callings, the beatings. He got it a lot and it never seemed to stop, even now when he’s fifteen. If it wasn’t for his asthma, it was because they think he was queer. _

_ Mustering some kind of strength, Eddie says, and It's  _ _ quite _ _ idiotic the more he thinks about it, but he still said it, “Are you talking about yourself?” _

_ It was idiotic because it got Henry to punch him again, and again, pushing him to the ground and spitting on him. “You fucking little shit! How da-” _

_ “And what do you think you’re doing there?” An unfamiliar voice spoke, causing Henry and his friends to run away, the voice didn’t speak again and Eddie just laid there, on the ground. Pain wrecking his body as he tried to keep his breathing under control. _

_ He isn’t sure how long he was there for, until he heard a soft gasp and was being picked up. Mike and Richie were holding him up together, taking him out of the building and into Bill’s car. They drove to Richie’s house, it was closest, it had given Maggie Tozier quiet the scare, and she fixed him up and told him that he was allowed to stay the night if he didn’t want to go home to his mother. _

_ The Loser’s spent the day in the Tozier house watching movies and playing board games, until everyone crashed out asleep. Stan taking Richie’s bed while the rest of the  _ _ Loser’s _ _ were scattered. Ben was asleep on the couch, head to tail with Beverly. Bill had draped a blanket over them before he fell asleep on the floor next to Mike. Richie fell asleep and soon enough it was only him awake and the screen on the TV went black as he turned it off. The soft sounds of the quiet house, of his friend's soft snores filling up the room as he thought. As he started to over think everything – of going over what had happened today. _

_ He hadn’t cried at all, not after he was in the company with his friends, not when Maggie patched him up – not during the sad parts of the movie they watched. Right  _ _ now _ _ though, at god knows what  _ hour _ of the night, tears were starting to fall down his face and he tries to hold back a sob. Not wanting to accidently wake up the others with his cries, he goes into the kitchen and takes a seat. He pulls his legs in on himself, holding them close to his chest as he cries into them. Maybe he was crying to loudly because he hears footsteps walk into the kitchen and the light goes on. _

_ “Eds?” Richie's voice soft and caring comes through, and Eddie can hear the shuffling of feet, of a chair being moved too right next to him. Eddie is too exhausted to tell Richie that wasn’t his name, and that seemed to be enough to get Richie to pull him close. “Hey, what’s wrong?” _

_ Right now, Eddie could do with one of Richie’s jokes – could do with Richie not knowing how to read situations and saying something out of line. Right now, he could... just do with Richie. Yeah, that’s all he needs right now, Richie. “I...I...” _

_ Thoughts of the past few months,  _ ** _ years _ ** _ are flowing through his mind. Memories and feelings floating upwards and Eddie feels like he is drowning, was there a right way to do this? It’s been eating at him for a long time, and only last month was he able to  _ admit  _ it to  _ _ himself. _ _ Will Richie reject him? Will Bill. Stan, Mike? Or Bev and Ben? Will they look at him  _ _ differently? _

_ “Eddie, you’re scaring me. I can get Bill if you want?” Richie offers, and  _ _ it’s _ _ sincere and Eddie just shakes his head. _

_ Lifting his head, Eddie wipes at his eyes before looking at Richie who was just so close to him. He could count those little freckles that dotted across Richie’s nose. That was another thing he realized too, but that one – he'll keep to himself. “I’m gay Richie. I... they’re fucking right. I’m a f-” _

_ “No! Don’t you dare say that okay. Not that word, okay,” Richie says, moving to hold  _ _ Eddie’s _ _ head in his hands. “Promise me Eds, don’t ever call yourself that, promise.” _

_ “It’s Eddie,” Eddie says with a light smile upon his lips, and it grows slightly bigger when Richie smiles back. “I can’t... I can’t tell my mother, she’ll hate me – or, send me to some place to fix me.” _

_ “I know, so don’t tell her okay.” Eddie nods his head, and Richie is just so close - he could just lean in and – no he tells himself. He can’t do that, that could ruin  _ _ things. _ _ “Let’s go to sleep and if you want to tell the others, I’ll be there for you.” _

_ “Thank  _ _ you, Richie _ _ .” _

_ In the morning, he tells the Loser’s and Richie’s parents over breakfast, he asks them to promise to not tell his mother. They all accepted him and he hadn’t felt more loved then in that moment. It would be a few months before Richie comes out, that his mother  _ _ get’s _ _ wind of that news and the next time Richie is over. His mother has a field day telling Eddie everything she feels about ‘those fucking queer fucks’, and it was hard listening to it. Listening because that means that’s how she would feel about  _ him _ . And that was like a knife to the heart. _

The kids have run their courses, everyone was now waiting as Beverly and Eddie got ready. Mrs Marshall was the judge, as she was for all the  counselor races on the obstacle course. She blew the whistle and Eddie and Beverly started running. Climbing up the small plastic rock wall, jumping down to the ground, climbing the netting and walking the tight rope bridge. It was fun going through the many obstacles in their path, and the most fun part was the end – where they had to climb up to a small podium where one of their kids were waiting with the flying fox.

Eddie reaching the top a few seconds before Beverly grabbed hold of the handles before pushing himself off, and feeling the wind whiz past his face. A huge smile spreading across his lips as he can hear Beverly let out a loud “Woo!” and he lets one out himself, seconds before the it stops due to the tires at the end of the flying fox. He lets the momentum slow down before he climbs off, going over to Beverly and hugging her, the both of them laughing together as their campers gathered around them. Mrs Marshall tells them that it was a draw. Telling everyone to get ready for dinner, and a bell rang around the whole camp,  signalling for everyone to wash up before coming into the mess hall.

It was a lazy day, where the campers did whatever within reason. Mike and Bill were on lifeguard duty for the Lake because some kids wanted to swim. Annabeth and Beverly were sitting with those who wanted to do Arts and Crafts, Ben and Travis were hosting a game of volleyball, while other kids and counselors scattered around talking with each other, or reading.

Eddie was walking around the cabins when he walked past eleven, Richie’s cabin where he could hear music being played really loudly, but not loud enough for Mrs Marshall to complain about it. The song playing was  _ I hate everything about you by Three Days Grace _ , curious, Eddie walked inside.

When he walked in, he didn’t expect to see Richie on his bed, with his face  _ so close _ to one of the other heads, with his hands in their curly hair. Eddie’s heart, it dropped down to the floor where his feet where. It was stupid, what he was feeling because Richie wasn’t his, and he can date whoever he wants, and they weren’t a bad person, not from the interactions Eddie has had with him. If they were happy, that is all that mattered right. But, why does his heart hurt? It hurts so much at how close they are, how he stands frozen as he watches as their lips meet.

Tears prickle his eyes, and he chides himself for this before he runs out into the wooded area of the camp. No one was allowed to go in there without a partner, or telling someone; a safety procedure of the camp. He didn’t care though, not right now. 

_ “ _ ** _ FUCK!” _ ** He screams out as he kicks at a tree, he’s mostly mad at himself. Maybe if he had  _ said _ something, then maybe – he wouldn’t be feeling this way now. But, no, Eddie was a coward when it came to facing his feelings, especially when they concern Richie.

He sits himself on the ground, sticks digging into his body and poking at him as he rubbed at his eyes. He can’t cry, this is his own fault if anyone were to blame. He barely registers the signal going off for lunch, even if his stomach growls at him. He doesn’t trust himself to be calm enough right now, so he stays there. Closing himself off and trying not to think about things, but his mind has its own twisted plan.

_ There was a blush rising on his cheeks as he sits cross legged in front of Richie, his eyes casting downward, to his fingers playing with the loose thread on Richie’s duvet. _

_ “You’re shitting  _ _ me _ _ right? But, you and Jessica?” Richie muses, his eyes comically wide, even for him and his  _ _ prescription _ _ that makes his eyes look bigger  _ _ then _ _ they are. _

_ “We dated, kind of but I never kissed her. I didn’t want to kiss her, sort of how I figured out I was gay, or well part of it,” Eddie replies, still not looking up at Richie. “I know, I’m seventeen and still haven’t kissed anyone. Go ahead, make fun of me.” _

_ “You’re just a late bloomer is all, you did get the last growth spurt out of all of us,” Richie says before grabbing hold of Eddie’s face in his hands. Making it so that he was forced to look at Richie. _

_ “W-What are you doing?” Eddie questions, his own eyes wide at how close Richie has made them. He could feel Richie’s breath on his lips, ghosting ever so slightly. He can smell the cigarette Richie had finished nearly five minutes ago on his breath. _

_ “I’ll be your first kiss,” Richie says as if it was obvious, smiling a bit too mischievous for  _ _ Eddie’s _ _ liking. _

_ Eddie is sure his face is going even redder, his eyes looking down at Richie’s lips and yes, he really does want those against his. He’s at a loss for words, he doesn’t know what to do – or what to say. “I...” _

_ “Do you not want me too?” Richie asks as he starts to pull away, dropping his hands from Eddie’s face. Eddie shakes his head, and fumbles over his words as he tries to tell Richie that he does want Richie to kiss him. _

_ And that’s what they do, Richie smiles a little before leaning in and closing the gap between them. Lips pressing together in a soft and quick kiss. Eddie wasn’t satisfied by the kiss, and chased Richie’s lips when the other pulled away. Then it was Eddie who leaned in, this time was longer – lips parting, and moving against each other. Eddie’s fingers going to tangle in Richie’s hair, liking the sound that Richie ended up making. _

_ They break apart when Maggie calls out that dinner was ready, and Richie was quick out of his room, leaving Eddie alone on the bed. His fingers going up to his lips, just where Richie’s lips had been and where he wishes they would be again. His first kiss, and it was with Richie not that he tells anyone that. No, hell, they don’t even talk about it ever again. Almost like it had never happened, _

And that is the thought that kills him inside. Maybe he should have said something to Richie back then., maybe he shouldn’t have let Richie do that – because it had only really confirmed that he liked Richie.

“Eddie?” Voices call out into the woods, calling his name and he hopes that he doesn’t look like he’s just been crying. Sucking in a deep breath, he stands up and brushes himself off. Smiling a little when he sees Stan with a worried look on his features. “Found him!” Stan calls out, walking over to Eddie. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” It’s a lie, but he will be okay. “Lost track of time, guess I didn’t hear the bell.”

Giving a smile, the pair walk back into the camp grounds, watching as kids who had finished eating file out of the Mess Hall to pick up their activities again. Beverly, Mike and Ben were coming in from other parts of the woods before making their way to the Mess Hall, joining Stan and Eddie, who joined Richie and Bill at one of the tables.

There was a plate of food ready for Eddie as he sat down, he picked up his fork and started to eat – ignoring his friends worried looks. He tells them he is  _ fine _ , that they don’t need to worry about him for nearly missing out on lunch. He sets up Richie for a joke, smiling a little as Richie took the bait and the table laughed and changed the subject to something else as he ate his food.

“ _ I thought I told you, I don’t want you hanging out with that  _ ** _ boy _ ** _ alone,” His mother says as he walks into the house, watching as she walked away from the window from watching him being dropped off by Richie. _

_ “He just dropped me off, Bill, Bev a-” _

_ “I don’t even want you near that dirty girl,” She says, and Eddie was starting to bubble with rage. First it was Richie, and now, it’s Beverly. The only good ones that she seems to approve of is Bill and Ben, Stan is alright – but just barely in her eyes. _

_ “She is not dirty! Those are just rumours mum,” He retorts back, “They’re my friends, why can’t you accept that?” _

_ “Because I only want what’s best for you Eddie Bear,” He shivers as his mother calls him that, it feels gross and he hates that name but he can’t ask her not to call him that. “And they’re not. That boy will, he’ll corrupt you, make you like him if you keep hanging out with him. I want you to be happy, find a nice girl and have a family of your own.” _

_ It takes all he can muster to not yell; it takes everything to not say Richie can’t corrupt him – can't make him gay because he already was. He knows he’ll never find a nice girl to marry because then that wouldn’t be making him happy, and he doesn’t feel like he can do that to someone. He can’t tell her that he had come out before Richie had, he can’t tell her because then where would he go? Often, he dreams of telling her, sometimes it comes out in a fight – sometimes he sits her down – but it always ends up with him being kicked out, with him packing his bags and going to whoever will accept him into their home with tears streaming down his face.  _

_ “Mum, they’re my friends and I don’t care what you think about them,” Eddie dares to say, and he can see the shock that formed over his mother. He watches in fear as she walks closer to him, reaching a hand out to place upon his forehead. Something he is so, so use too and something he hates. She was checking if he was sick, but he wasn’t - he was just standing up for his friends, for himself. “Mummy, I’m fine.” _

_ “Then you don’t talk to me like that, I’m calling the doctor, maybe one of your medications are out,” She says leaving no room for him to protest this. He was going to be going to the doctors tomorrow, and he had no choice in it. He can’t wait until he finally leaves her house and leaves her. Until then, he has to hide part of himself away from her, to lie to her about something he shouldn’t have too. _

He is pulled out of his thoughts when someone nudges his shoulder, looking to his right he sees Mike sitting down next to on the docks. Eddie gives the man a smile before he notices a mischievous smile upon his lips, then it took him a few seconds to register the shadow that was hovering over him, looking up he sees Richie and Bill with huge smiles of their own, that is when he feels something wet grab hold of his legs that were dangling over the edge of the docks, causing Eddie to scream. The wet hands grabbed hold of him and pulled him into the water as Bill and Richie pushed. He went into the water, failing his arms, popping up in the surface with Ben and Beverly beside him.

“IN COMING!” Richie’s voice screamed out as he ran from the docks and jumping into the lake, while Mike, Bill and Stan followed soon after.

Eddie makes a big deal about splashing everyone for what they did, but he laughs and they play around in the water. Kids and other cabin heads were also in the water, there were kids water skiing with Piper behind the controls of the jet boat. They were having fun; Richie was pulled away by the  counselor Eddie had seen him kissing a few days ago. He was okay with it now, no more jealousy feeding into him because he knows Richie is available to date whoever he wants and Eddie can suck it up, he’ll find someone later. Maybe someone in California when he gets there.

He attacks Stanley with some water, and they get into a water fight, laughing only stopping when Stan doesn’t return the splashes. Eddie follows his line of sight, it’s to where Richie and the other guy where out in the lake. It looked like they were having an argument, they couldn’t hear what was being said but the other pushed on Richie’s shoulders, the other does it twice before Piper is coming up to them on the boat, taking them apart and the other climbed on board while Richie swims to the edge of the water. Stan goes and follows him as Richie gets out of the water.

The rest of the Loser’s get out of the water, they all wanted to go find Richie but they knew it would be best if only one went, so they just wrapped thier towels around themselves and decided to help with setting up the firepit for the  smores they were going to have that night. Over an hour later, Richie and Stan join them.

Ghost stories went around as people eat their  smores , Bill had an amazing story, like he usually does and they all enjoyed the stories that went around. The younger kids started to drift off to sleep, causing for Mrs Marshall to call for bedtime for those under the age of fourteen, that those are up to eighteen are to go to bed in an hour – and that she trust those who are left to go to bed before midnight because they’ve got a hike in the morning and she needs all the help she can get for preparing for the lunch they’re going to have.

Soon enough there were only a few other  counselor left along with the Loser’s gang, Eddie was sitting in between Stan and Ben. Richie had made one of the other’s fall right into jokes, causing everyone to laugh, and something kind of hit Eddie. Richie was on the other side, sitting next to Annabeth and Lou – almost as if he was separating himself from the Loser’s, from him. Richie was always in between or in front of at least one of them, but tonight he was as far as you could get within the space they had. Eddie tries to not overthink it, but that is what Eddie does best, he over thinks everything.

“I’m heading to bed,” Eddie says as he stands up, “Goodnight.”

Walking back to his cabin, he hears faint footsteps behind him but he doesn’t look back, thinking it was just someone else heading to bed too. He hears his name, still he doesn’t turn around until someone grabs hold of his arm. Pulling his arm away, he turns to see Richie looking at him with what looked like to be a worried expression in the dark light of the moon.

“Eds, are you okay?” Richie questions, moving to a picnic table and motioned for Eddie to sit down too.

“Don’t call me that,” Eddie says as he took the side opposite Richie, before he adds on, “Shouldn’t I ask that? Looks like you and Leo had  quite a fight in the lake.”

“That, that was nothing,” Richie says trying to brush it off, but Eddie gives him a pointed glare and that seems to get Richie to spill some information. “Okay, fine, it wasn’t _ nothing _ , we had this thing... I wouldn’t call it dating, but that’s what he wanted. I guess, then he said he couldn’t do it, because of the...”

Richie stops his sentence right there, dropping his gaze to the table and letting out a sigh, “Why did he push you then?”

“Because I was denying what he was accusing me of, a lot,” Richie replies, putting his head into his hands, “What about you? Are you okay? You’ve been... acting weird at times, distant at times. Just like when you left  just before.”

“I don’t know,” Eddie shrugs his shoulders, he knows exactly what. He’s been thinking too much, breaking his own heart and reliving all these memories that he doesn’t want too. Memories he didn’t want to see again, ones he should put behind him because they only serve to pull on his heartstrings. “Probably just overthinking a lot and the nerves of actually moving out of my mother’s place, maybe it’s just getting to me because after camp, I’m Cali bound, no stop home to my mother. Everything is already out there waiting for me to unpack.”

Richie looks up, trying to read Eddie’s expression in the dim light, trying to detect if Eddie was holding something back. It seems that what Eddie said as true enough for Richie to not say he was lying, and he sighs before getting up. He’s holding out his hand to Eddie, easily putting on that mask of humour on, “May I escort you to your home,” Richie says with a voice that sounded very  _ gentleman _ like, that caused a light laugh to leave Eddie’s lips.

Taking hold of Richie’s hand, Eddie stands up and intertwines their fingers together – he’ll take the small things, because friends can hold hands right and it means nothing. Richie didn’t let go of his hand, and Eddie takes that as a small victory. They reach Eddie’s cabin and Eddie turns to give Richie a kiss on the cheek, “Thank you, you kind gentleman,” He lets his hand fall from Richie’s, giving him a smile and there was a few moments when he thought that maybe, just maybe he could just – but he doesn’t, and it’s quiet as Eddie moves his way into his cabin, careful of the sleeping children before crawling into bed and falling asleep.

The hike was going great, Eddie was wearing a pair of his running shorts and a tank top, a backpack on his back, holding the first aid kits because you never could be too sure. One year, Eddie had fallen and broken his arm, and it had taken a lot of convincing his mother to let him stay and let him come back again. They reached their destination which was a small creek, the kids grabbed their lunches and formed groups all around. Talking and taking in the sight, the Loser’s found a spot and sat down next to each other in a circle.

After Richie finished his food, he laid himself down on the grass and it wasn’t long before he started to snore lightly, Stan gave a small roll of his eyes but there was a ghost of a smile upon his lips. Richie always took a nap during the hike, and he’d always whine when they had to go back.

Stan pulled out his binoculars, and started to look for the birds that usually are around the creek. Mike joining him and they talked about the birds they spotted. Bill and Ben went to go play with the kids that were playing in the shallow creek, their shoes sitting in a pile next to their bags. Eddie feels someone poke his side, seeing Beverly he smiles.

“What?” Eddie questions as he takes a sip from his drink bottle.

“Are you going to tell him before you go?” Beverly asks, raising an eyebrow slightly as he gave a pointed look to Richie snoring slightly on the ground next to Eddie.

“Tell him what Bev?” He’s playing dumb, he thinks he can get away with it – because if he tells Richie, he’s scared of what might happen. Scared it’ll drive Richie away, and that isn’t something he can deal with. He cares too much about Richie, he needs Richie in his life, even if they’re just friends. He will find someone else, that’s the hope he holds onto  every time he gives himself this talk.

“Eddie, you like him and don’t deny it. Tell him, or you might regret it,” Bev tells him, giving his shoulder a squeeze, “Because then, at least you’ve told him. We’ve got three more weeks, then we really are all on different paths Eddie.”

“But we’ll still do  things together right?” 

“Of course! No way will I let use drift apart like that,” She smiles brightly, and he does too.

After an hour, they’re heading back to the camp grounds. The weeks go by, and the leaving  counselor’s are having a race to see who can do the obstacle course the fastest, who has better improved since their first time doing the course. It was thrilling, the kids were cheering on their  counselor . Eddie was the last one to do the course, and he was whizzing through it. He was determined to beat his first time of six minutes and forty seconds; over the years he has gotten it down to three minutes and  twenty two seconds. He could hear his kids cheering him on, he could hear the Loser’s cheering too, and he finished the course in three minutes and thirteen seconds. He threw his hands up in the air, letting out a loud “ _ YEAH!” _ and his cabin came to hug him in a huge group hug.

It was amazing, Ben won the best improved and Eddie just beat Beverly for fastest course time by two seconds. It felt great, tomorrow the kids were heading off home on the bus so after an earlier dinner everyone was sent to pack their things and make sure they weren’t missing anything. Eddie helped his kids and packed up his own things, checking things over twice before he was satisfied.

The summer had been wonderful, and the bus filled with kids left the grounds, leaving just the  counselors . Mrs Marshall thanked them for their work this summer, giving the ones who were leaving for good a small keychain to remind them of their hard work at Camp  Lakefire before she dismissed everyone. Everyone was putting their cars, or their parent's car as they left the camp. 

The Losers were the last ones to go, the seven of them standing around in the back of the Main House. None of them truly wanting to leave, because now they know it’s going to be a few months before they all see each other again. Beverly left with Ben, Stan pilled in with Mike and Bill, leaving it down to just Richie and Eddie.

Eddie is playing with his keys, it’s the last day – he should take Beverly’s advice, it’s now or never. He wants too, but that ever feeling of being rejected is eating at him. Telling him that this was going to be a bad idea. He doesn’t have to say it, he will be fine with that – he can cope with that. He’s totally in his head that he doesn’t see Richie stepping so close to him until Richie’s hands are covering his and Eddie looks up. Eddie smiles slightly and Richie over turns Eddie’s hands, facing them up to the sky. A finger ghosting over his inner wrist, where the word _ Loser _ was  tattoo’d . Something he no longer felt he needed to cover up, because he wasn’t going home to his mother – no, he was moving so far away from her.

“I have to go Richie, I’ve got a long ride ahead of me,” Eddie says, his own fingers going to trace over the  _ Loser _ written on Richie’s wrist. All of them had gotten them one summer, once all of them could get them without parental permission. The rest of them never hid theirs, but Eddie did with bracelets because he knows his mother would have a field day but while at camp, Eddie showed it proudly. At the end of the summer, he would cover it back up but he wasn’t this year. “I’ve got to get to California in four days, otherwise my rental place is going to kick me out.”

Richie didn’t step away, and Eddie didn’t pull his hands away. “Eds, I...”

“That’s not m-” Eddie was cut off mid-sentence when he felt Richie’s lips against his. Eddie had gasped into the kiss, and allowed for the kiss to deepen as he moved his arms to rest around Richie’s neck. They pulled away when they a spray of water attacked them.

Turning around, they saw Mrs Marshall standing with a water gun. “Hey lovebirds, better get going or I’ll make you clean my garage.”

“Okay Mrs Marshall,” Eddie says, “Sorry.”

“Don’t be, you stupid love sick puppies finally sorted out your shit. Tell Bev, I’ll put the money in her account,” Mrs Marshall spoke before walking back into the Main House through the back entrance. Leaving them alone again.

There was a redness to Eddie’s cheeks, “They made bets on us?”

“I’m not surprised, remember we did that with Beverly and figuring out the poem was from Ben, and not from Bill,” Richie says with a light laugh, he leans in to press a soft Eddie’s lips, “Text me your address in Cali, and we can talk about this more.”

Richie gets into his car, waving at Eddie before driving off. Getting over the shock he seemed to be in, he quickly sent Richie his new address before he himself left. Taking in the scenery as he did, he would miss this place.

He was unpacking the last of his things when there was a knock on his door, opening the door he was slightly surprised to see Richie standing there. They hadn’t really talked much about since they left camp, with Eddie busy with adjusting to his new apartment and new job within a new city. Smiling, Eddie welcomed Richie in and they sat on the small couch Eddie now owned.

Richie grabs hold of Eddie’s hand, “I want to date you, take you out to shitty and fancy places. I have for a long time. You know, that day when I kissed you, back when we were teenagers?” Eddie nods his head, because he does because he had just admitted to Richie that he hadn’t been kissed at all, then offered to be Eddie’s first. “I did that for selfish reasons, I did it because I wanted to kiss you. It makes me feel... so,” Richie’s other hand clenches, as if he’s trying to find the right word he wanted to use, but he could so Eddie tells him that he understands, because he does. He understands that feeling so well, “inside knowing that I was your first kiss, and that was when I knew. I knew I liked you, like so much that I couldn’t handle it.”

“I knew when I was fifteen, not that it’s a race... but that is when I knew. I knew I liked you, by seventeen I knew I loved you, and at  twenty three , I know I still love you,” Eddie replies, bringing Richie’s hand close so he could kiss the other’s knuckles because he could. Because he feels like he can do it without it being weird now. “My mother is totally going to hate you now.”

“Your mum loves me, we’re getting married next week, haven’t you heard?” Richie says a huge smile upon his lips as Eddie hits his shoulder. Eddie stands up before starting to finish his unpacking, which was just his old yearbooks, which the pair ended up going through and sending Snaps to their friends to tease them about their high school years. Richie coming up with most of the captions.

Richie ends up falling asleep on his shoulder, and Eddie takes one last snap of Richie asleep on his shoulder, with only a few hearts before sending it to his friends. He puts his phone on silent, he can respond to their friends later, right now he was going to take Richie to bed and go to bed himself. It was going to be wonderful, this new life in Cali Eddie thought as he  falls asleep, Richie moving to cling onto Eddie as he slept.

**Author's Note:**

> yes i filled in names with characters from another one of my fandoms, if you can guess what they are, i'll fill any prompt you want ( within my limits of course ).
> 
> disclaimer i do not know how summer camps work, especially in america so what i've done is based on what i've seen in movies & tv shows, and books.
> 
> none of this, as usual is proof read by anyone, it's just written and published


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